Brake adjuster



Feb. 13, 1934. P, B. cAMP BRAKE ADJUSTER Filed April 22, 1931 Patented Feb. 1.3, 1934 BRAKE ADJUSTER Percy B. Camp, Maywood,4 Ill., assignor to Universal Draft Gear `Attachment Company, a

corporation of Illinois Application April 22,V 1931. Serial No. 531,966 67Claims. (Cl. 18S-197) This invention has for its primary objects to provide a simple way for ascertaining the amount of slack in railway brake mechanism; for. taking up excess slack if it is found to exist; and for preventing over-adjustment of themechanism. Further and other objects and advantages will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds and the description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which y Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of the slack adjuster of this invention applied toconventional brake gear;

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken at right angles to the guide bar, the adjuster being shown in its normal position;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig.v 2, but showing the fulcrum of the dead cylinder-lever drawn to the right in order to ascertain whether an adjustment is necessary; 20 Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a transverse, sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and f Y Fig. 6 is a perspective viewf of the fulcrum block. 1

For convenience of disclosure, a particular form of adjuster is shownin theidraw'ing and will herein be described, but itis realized that variouschanges and modifications may be made in its structural detail without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is also to be understood that the invention may be applied to any dead lever of the brake system.

In the diagrammatic view of Fig. 1, the foundaon line 1'35 tion brake gear comprises the usual dead truck levers 10 and live truck levers 11 connected by bottom rods 12, and receiving braking power through top rods 13 from the live cylinder lever 14 and dead cylinder lever 15. The cylinder levers are connected by a Center rod 16 and when air is admitted into the brake cylinder 17, the push rod 18 moves the various rods and levers of the foundation brake gear to apply the brake shoes 19 to the wheels 20.

It is well known to those familiar with railway brake mechanism that the entire foundation brake gear may be regulated by a proper positioning of the dead cylinder lever fulcrum. Accordingly, the brake adjuster of this invention is preferably applied to this fulcrum although it may be used with like effectiveness on each of the dead truck levers.

A guide or anchor bar 21 is suspended from a center car sill 22 by angle brackets 23 in such a manner that the broad face of the bar is at an angle of approximately with the horizontal. The bar has a longitudinal series of apertures 24 arranged in staggered formation in which a standard pin 25 may be selectively placed. The pin has a head 26 which stands above the plane 60 ofthe guide bar and forms an obstruction to any membermoving along the'face of the bar.

A casting, generally designated 27 and hereinafter called fulcrum block, is slidably sleeved on the bar 21 and supports the fulcrum of the dead cylinderlever. It is free to move inone direction, for convenience called forwardly, until the brakeshoes are applied tothe wheels, but its rearward movement is limited by the pin 25.

The fulcrumV block comprises a loop or sleeve 28 having an upper wall 29 and lower wall 30. A pair of rounded shoulders 31 are cored from the krear of the wall 29 and are covered by a raised wall or projection 32 terminating with an inclined face 33.

The shoulders 31 engage the head 26 of the pin 25 when the block is in its normal position (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) and hold the block against rearward Y movement assisted by similar shoulders 34 abutting the shank. of the pin. A small ledge 35 engages the underside of the guide bar and steadies the fulcrum block on the bar.

The sleeve 28 merges above with a pair of triangular iianges36 and 37 at the apex of which are alined` apertures forreceiving a standard fulcrum pin 38. The pin supplies a fulcrum for the dead cylinder lever 15 and remains stationary until manually moved forwardly for the purpose of adjusting the brake gear.

For convenience of operation, the dead cylinder lever 15 is provided with an extension 39 which projects suiciently from the fulcrum block to furnish a suitable handle for operating the adjuster, but it is of course obvious that a handle could be cast on the fulcrum block, if desired, to provide the necessary grip.

The longitudinalA dimension of the cover plate 32 i. e. from the shoulders 31 to the tip of the inclined face 33, is such that the pin 25 cannot be removed from the aperture it engages (Fig. 2) until the block has been moved forwardly a distance corresponding to normal brake shoe clearance. This proportioning of the parts enables an inspector to walk along the side of a series of cars equipped withY an adjuster of this invention, and by merely pulling forwardly on the handle 39 until the brakes are pressed against the wheels, he can ascertain whether the brakes are in proper adjustment.

If, on applying the brakes by the handle 39, the l0 fulcrum block is moved sufficiently that the pin can be advanced one or more apertures (Fig. 3), the inspector removes the pin and places it in the aperture closest to the fulcrum block. Upon releasing the handle, the parts are restored to normal position (Fig. 2) and the brakes are in adjustment.

The cover plate 32 serves both as a gauge to indicate the appropriate aperture in which to place the pin 25, and also makes it impossible to place the pin too far forwardly to cause overadjustment of the brakes. In addition, the cover plate locks the pin in place during application of the brakes and prevents removal of the pin until the fulcrum block is moved suiiiciently to clear the pin.

What I claim is:

1. A manual slack adjuster for the foundation brake gear of railway cars comprising a xed bar having a plurality of apertures, a pin insertable in one of the apertures, an adjustable dead lever fulcrum adapted to be supported by the bar and held against movement in one direction by the pin but freely movable at all times in the opposite direction, Without removing the pin, to apply the brake shoes to the car Wheels, and means locking the pin in the aperture until the lever fulcrum has been moved in the opposite dip rection a distance corresponding to normal brake shoe clearance, said means also indicating the appropriate aperture for the pin to secure proper brake slack.

2. In foundation brake gear including a. dead i brake lever, the combination of means for shifting the fulcrum of said lever to compensate for wear including an apertured bar, a block slidably sleeved upon the bar and supporting the fulcrum of the lever, an abutment element adapted to be selectively anchored in one of the apertures and opposing movement of the block in one direction, said block being freely movable at all times in the other direction, Without removing the abutment element, to apply the brake shoes to the car wheels, and means prohibiting the remo-val of the abutment element until the block has been moved a distance corresponding to normal brake shoe travel.

3. In foundation brake gear including a dead brake lever, the combination of means for shifting the fulcrum of said lever to compensate for Wear, including an apertured bar, a block slidably sleeved upon the bar and supporting the fulcrum of the lever, an abutment element adapted to be selectively anchored in one of the apertures and opposing movement of the block in one direction, said block being freely movable in the other direction to apply the brake shoes to the car Wheels, and a projection on the block prohibiting overadjustment of the brakes.

4. In foundation brake gear including a dead brake lever, the combination of means for shifting the fulcrum of said lever to compensate for Wear including a bar provided With a longitudinal series of staggered holes, a block slidably sleeved upon the bar and supporting the fulcruin of the lever, a pin adapted to be selectively anchored in one of the apertures and opposing movement of the block in one direction, said block being freely movable at all times in the other direction, Without removing the pin, until the brake shoes are applied to the car Wheels, and locking means associated with the block preventing removal of the pin until the block has been moved in the opposite direction a distance corresponding to normal brake shoe clearance.

5. In brake mechanism including a dead brake lever, the combination of means for adjusting the fulcrum of said lever to compensate for Wear including a relatively xed bar having a plurality of staggered holes, a block associated with the bar and adapted to support the lever fulcrum, a pin selectively engaging one of the apertures of the bar, a gauge on the block to indicate a movement of the fulcrum corresponding to normal brake shoe clearance, said gauge overhanging the pin and preventing overadjustment of the brakes.

6. In a brake mechanism including a dead brake lever, the combination of means for adjusting the fulcrum of said lever to compensate for Wear including a relatively iixed apertured bar, a block slidably mountedA on the bar and adapted to support the lever fulcrum, a pin insertable in one of the apertures and provided with a head resting upon the face of the bar, and a projection on the block overhanging the pin during application of the brakes and preventing its removal.

PERCY B. CAMP.

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